‘The Coalition is here to stay,’ vows Nick Clegg but he fails to join the PM in the Commons

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday insisted the Coalition was not about to break up, despite his high-profile absence from the House of Commons when Prime Minister David Cameron defended his veto of a new European treaty.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has insisted the Coalition was not about to break up, despite his high-profile absence from the House of Commons on Monday when Prime Minister David Cameron defended his veto of a new European treaty.

The Liberal Democrat leader insisted the Coalition was “here to stay”, but in a letter to supporters he once again laid bare his frustration with the Tory leader’s handling of the negotiations.

He wrote: “There is now a real danger that over time the UK will be isolated and marginalised within the EU and as a consequence, our influence in the world will shrink. That is not good for jobs and growth; and will do nothing for struggling families across the country.”

Mr Cameron’s statement yesterday in the Commons was repeatedly interrupted by Labour shouts of “Where’s Nick?” And Chris Ruane, Labour MP for the Vale of Clwyd shouted: “Où est Clegg?”

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries accused the Lib Dems of cowardly and negative attacks. saying it was “cowardice only to be surpassed by the absence of the Deputy Prime Minister in the chamber today”.

Mr Clegg defended his no-show in the Commons, saying: “I don’t think people care too much who sits where in the House of Commons. I would have been a distraction if I was there.”

But when asked whether the alliance with the Tories would survive until 2015 despite the divisions over Europe, he said: “The Coalition government is here to stay. On Europe what I am going to do is this: build bridges, re-engage and make sure that Britain’s voice is heard at the top table in Europe.”

Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams also attacked Mr Cameron for “walking away,” saying: “I am not convinced that David Cameron worked hard enough at negotiating a good deal for Wales and the UK. Negotiation is never easy and it involves a degree of compromise.

“Walking away from the European table with nothing now leaves Wales and the UK on the fringes of the biggest single market trading area in the world. This means that we will not be able to exert the kind of influence in Europe that could benefit Welsh jobs and businesses.”

He said there was an economic crisis in Europe that was depressing the UK economy and Mr Cameron had “surrendered his seat” at the table where the future of the EU would be decided.

“You surrendered to your backbenchers,” he said. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd said that of the thousands of “square miles” in the UK the Prime Minister only cared about the one where the City of London is located.

But Mr Cameron said he was thinking about “people working in the financial services industry in Cardiff”.

Swansea-raised Conservative MP Julian Lewis pushed his leader to call a referendum on EU membership, saying: “As you have cast your vote on Europe so effectively in Brussels, do you think there’s any chance that the British people might one day have an opportunity to do something similar over here?”

Mr Cameron refused to move closer to the Eurosceptics – many of whom congratulated him on vetoing the treaty.

He said: “To me, the most important use of a referendum is if there is a proposal for this House of Commons, or any government, to pass powers from this House to somewhere else [then] we should ask the British people first.

“That to me, in a parliamentary democracy, is the right use of a referendum. As we are not signing a treaty I think the whole issue of a referendum doesn’t arise.”

He insisted that he had genuinely sought agreement on a new treaty at last week’s European Union summit and negotiated in “good faith” during the discussions in Brussels.

Mr Cameron defended his decision to block a treaty of all 27 member states on the grounds he had been refused safeguards for the City of London.

He said: “We went seeking a deal at 27 and I responded to the German and French proposal for treaty change in good faith, genuinely looking to reach agreement at the level of the whole of the European Union.”

Underscoring his commitment to EU membership, he said: “Britain remains a full member of the European Union and the events of last week do nothing to change that. Our membership of the EU is vital to our national interest.”

Drawing attention to the disagreement with Mr Clegg, Mr Miliband said: “How can you expect to persuade anyone else it’s a good outcome when you can’t persuade your own deputy?”

It was not a veto “when the thing you wanted to stop goes ahead without you”, he added. “That’s called losing, that’s called being defeated, that’s called letting Britain down.”

He went on: “The reality is this: you have given up our seat at the table; you have exposed, not protected British business; and you have come back with a bad deal for Britain.”

Labour is actively trying to win the support of disillusioned Lib Dems.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander yesterday stated online: “Just because [Mr Cameron] puts party interest before the national interest, there is no reason others should do the same. That is why I make a genuine offer to Liberal Democrats to work with us to try to get a better outcome for Britain, between now and when this agreement is likely to be finally tied down in March.

Professor Russell Deacon, who teaches modern Welsh political history at the University of Wales, Trinity St David, describing his reaction to the veto of the deal and his expectation of difficulties for the Coalition, said: “I thought: ‘How on earth is the membership going to swallow this...’ I think it really reflects on a new sort of Government where you are able to say: ‘We oppose this but we are still able to stay within the Government.’.”

WalesOnline is part of Media Wales, publisher of the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday and the seven Celtic weekly titles, offering you unique access to our audience across Wales online and in print.